Filesystem (Reference) vs Apache OpenDAL MCP Server

A side-by-side comparison of two Files & Storage servers — tools, transport, auth, maintenance, and copy-paste config for each.

	Filesystem (Reference) Official MCP reference server for secure local filesystem read/write within allowed directories. Verified stdio (local) No auth TypeScript	Apache OpenDAL MCP Server Access S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage and many more storage services through one unified MCP interface. Unverified stdio (local) API key Stale Python
Category	Files & Storage	Files & Storage
Language	TypeScript	Python
Transport	stdio (local)	stdio (local)
Auth	None	API key
GitHub stars	74k	34
Last commit	7 months ago	1 year ago
Verified
Actively maintained
Install	`npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /absolute/path/to/dir`	`pip install mcp-server-opendal`
Repo	Open	Open

Verdict

Pick Filesystem (Reference) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option.

Pick Apache OpenDAL MCP Server if you prefer its approach (access s3, azure blob, google cloud storage and many more storage services through one unified mcp interface).

Add Filesystem (Reference)

Install / run

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /absolute/path/to/dir

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem-reference": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/absolute/path/to/dir"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Add Apache OpenDAL MCP Server

Install / run

pip install mcp-server-opendal

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apache-opendal-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-server-opendal"
      ],
      "env": {
        "YOUR_ENV_VAR": "YOUR_ENV_VALUE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires `uv` (the Python package runner). Install it from https://docs.astral.sh/uv/ if `uvx` is not found.

FAQ

Filesystem (Reference) or Apache OpenDAL MCP Server — which is better?

Pick Filesystem (Reference) if you want the official, vendor-maintained server, and you prefer the more popular, battle-tested option. Pick Apache OpenDAL MCP Server if you prefer its approach (access s3, azure blob, google cloud storage and many more storage services through one unified mcp interface).

Can I use both Filesystem (Reference) and Apache OpenDAL MCP Server?

Yes — MCP clients let you enable multiple servers at once. Add both configs to your client's mcpServers and use whichever tool fits the task.

Do Filesystem (Reference) and Apache OpenDAL MCP Server work with Claude, Cursor and Windsurf?

Both do. Copy the per-client config below into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf.

View Filesystem (Reference) →View Apache OpenDAL MCP Server →More comparisons →